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Makera, I actually like the past tense better for that quote because otherwise it seems like it is a command or an order to be enlightened. In past tense it seems to be from his personal experience and he's asking us to follow. I agree with you on the trouble of translating. I've heard that orthodox Muslims don't even consider reading the Koran in any other language besides Arabic as reading the actual Koran. Supposedly Arabic is especially difficult to translate and the Koran has a very specific rhyme and rythym.

Jmflash~
I agree and appreciate your points; it must always be the perspective that feels 'right' (most comfortable) to you that is the right one. That's why I cited the variations of 'come, come to, going' etc. It is a very personal thing. It can also depend upon situational perspectives, i.e. a private meditation (to oneself) or in a group situation (under instruction), - telling yourself or being called.
Yes, you are right about the the Koran. It is a perfect example of how so much of the lyrical poetry and depths of meaning can be lost in translation. Even the design in the calligraphy of the opening lines is a specialized art on its own. "In the Name of God the most compassionate, the most merciful", apparently does not come close to what it really says.

Going, going, gone,
Makera

I was wondering if anyone knows where the 'Tiger and the Strawberry' story comes from. I heard that the Buddha told it in a Sutra. For those who don't know what I'm talking about here it is:
A man travelling across a field met a tiger. He fled, and the tiger chased him. Coming to a cliff, the man caught hold of the root of a wild vine and swung himself down over the edge. The tiger sniffed at him from above. Trembling, the man looked down to where, far below, another tiger was circling, waiting for him to fall. Only the vine sustained him. Out of a hole in the ground two mice came to the edge and started gnawing on the vine. As the vine was about to tear, the man saw out of the corner of his eye a strawberry near him. Grasping the vine with one hand, he plucked the strawberry and ate it. Ah, how sweet it tasted!

Jmflash~
This site may be helpful, with alternate versions of this and many other stories. Note, "A Parable" & "Wild Strawberry".

http://www.spiritwalk.org/zenstories.htm

~Makera

"O soul at rest, return to your Lord, welcomed in His welcoming." Says it all for me as we pass through yet another door in life to discover old friends and family, and our family who we never knew, because they have gone on long before it is our turn.

"We live in a world of impermanence, a world of flux and illusion, a world brimming with sadness - so we might as well get pissed and enjoy ourselves. (Or at least, that's how I read the underlying Buddhist theology)"
Hokkaido Highway Blues: Will Ferguson

OK, Jo, that sounds pretty good ...but who's Will Ferguson?
Ooh, ya think we might have a translation problem here?...coz some Americans might think "get pissed" means 'get mad'.

~Makera

I recently realised that in all of the Buddhist scriptures I have read I have never seen 'God' mentioned. Is the Buddha supposed to be God? Is every Brahmin who is in their last life on Earth part of God, or do they become part of God after they die?

Also, has anyone read Tolstoy's later works and really enjoyed them?

Hello Arno,

I found you an earlier discussion on Buddhism. It did wander off the subject at times but maybe you will find it useful. For myself, I prefer to read an actual book than look up long texts on the internet so I would suggest asking at a library for something basic.

JMFlash- Tolstoy's last works are not readable- he decided to clean up his act in life and in literature- by following the MORALS, how was he supposed to live&write, which caused catastrophic results in his art. Tolstoy's big idea was that Christ was just a human, not the Son of God. Having explored that "bright" discovery, he thought, that the best would be to follow the teaching, without the aspect of the divine mystery. Sad
Michelangelo at the end of his days was destroying his work, calling it all a big mistake or a result of vanity. His dear friend Maria Collona, who was half saint, filled him with the the idea- nothing really matters, all our efforts are a sign of vanity.
One always has to watch out, if the bright ideas would fit the shoes

or......"If the cap fits" ?

Right, Byron, the table is set with many desserts on it, so hard to choose- strawberry's with creme or ice-cream

Well, said Bee.

Perhaps Jmflash would do well to look up 'the Silence of the Buddha'

~ Makera

Makera above all- jmflash has the RIGHTS to remain silent- just like Buddha

[Pssssst.....Makera ~ a much nicer avatar for you. I like it.]